Inner-spring mattress and cushion making



J. KRAMER INNER SPRING MATTRESS AND CUSHION MAKING Sept. 23, 1924.

1920 4 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 23, 1924.

J. KRAMER INNER SPRING MATTRESS AND CUSHION MAKING Original. Filed Nov.29I 1920 4 sheetsmshaet 2 JAM/ y JMWZ/f l @y ya Sept. 23 i924. I L

J. KRAMER INNER SPRING MATTRESS AND CUSHION MAKING Original Filed Nov.29, 1920 z sheets-Sheet Sept. 23F 1924. 19593@ -J. KRAMER INNER SPRINGMATTRESS AND CUSHION MAKING Original Filed Nov. 29. 190 4 shams-sheet 4Patented Sept. 23, i924.

unirse JULIUs KRAMER, or CHICAGO,

ILIJINOIS ASSIGNOR TO ILLINOIS. y

Y INNER-SPRING `IVIA'I'IRSS AND CUSHION lvIAKING.

Reled Vfor abandoned application Serial` No. 427,151, filed November 29,

1920. This application led November 17, 1922. Serial No. 602,919.

To uZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JULiUs KRAMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinventedv certain new and useful Improvements in Inner-SpringMattressand Cushion Making, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to a new and improved method and apparatusformaking cushions, mattresses land the like, particularly designed andintended foruse in connection with upholstered furniture although ofcourse, they may be made for' use separately or in other connections..The principal object of the invention is to provide a cushion makingapparatus for making cushions of various sizes `and for carrying out the,improvedV method of making pillows of the class, as hereinafter setforth. The invention consists not only inthe improved method' for makingcushions, but also in the construction, combination `and arrangement ofthe several parts of the apparatus for making the cushions.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. l is a side elevation of a machineconstructed in accordance with the principles of. this invention; Fig. 2a plan view; Fig. 3 is a view looking at `the operating end of themachine; Fig. 4 is a section taken o n the line 4--4 of Fig; 2; Fig. 5is a detail section showing the overlapping edges; Fig. 6 is a sectiontaken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a section taken on the lline7-7 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 8 is a detail section taken on the line 8-8 ofFig. 7. Y l

Cushions of the'kind to which this invention relates are made by placinga number of short springs upright in rows of boxes formed by fabricpartitions and then by covering the pad of springs thus formed on allsides with a layer of felt or cotton or any other suitable upholsteringmaterial, and,` in then compressing the filling thus formed andinserting it in a cover of a pillow slip which'is then sewed up, forminga pillow or an upholstered cushion. I riefly stated, this is thefunction and operation cf the apparatus, and is the method which isemployed in making the cushions.

Referring Lnow more particularly to the drawings, a suitable frame workis provided comprising side members l and cross pieces `2, supported bylegs 3 which are suitably This height of an ordi.- is freely accessiblebraced in any well known manner. frame work is about the nary table orso that it to an ordinary worker.

Mounted on the side fra-mesi are supporting cross pieces 4 at the endsof which are bearings 5 for mounting` shafts 6 therein. At the center ofeach shaft is a bearing member 7, as shown more clearly in Figs. 6 and7, to which a fiat central plate 8 is attached by means of a screw 9 anda block l0. An angular side plate 1l is attached to eX- tend under eachside edge of the central plate 8, and each angular side plate is mountedupon nuts 12 and are threaded upon the shafts 6, the shafts beingoppositely threaded on the opposite side of the central block 7 thereof,so that the opposite angle plates 11 will be moved uniformly toward andfrom the central portion as the shaft 6 is rotated. Each of the nuts l2has a projection 17 which slides along a groove 1,8 at the upper edge ofthe cross pieces 4, and each nut is secured to its side plate 1l by ascrew 19. A. sprocket wheel 13 is attached to one end of each shaft 6,and a sprocket chain 14.1 connects them for operation in unison. A handwheel l5 provided with a crank 16 is attached to. one of the shafts 6for operating these side plates l1.

The upper portion of the mattress holders comprises side pieces 2O whichare mounted intermediate their ends upon a shaft 21. The forward endsare connected by means of a cross piece 22, and adjustably mounted uponthev rear ends which are preferably formed with offsets 23, arecounterbalance weights 24 to provide for variation of the parts on shaft21. Directly below the mounting shaft 2l is a cross piece 25 similar tothe cross piece 22 and attached to these cross pieces is a central plate26 corresponding with the lower central plate 8. Fitting closely overthe edges of this central plate 26 are side plates 27 which are bentdownwardly at their outer side edges 28 to fit within the upwardly bentsides 29 of the lower side plates l1.

These upper side plates 27 are mounted for sliding movement upon thecross bars 22 and 25 by means of the brackets 30, and their IPUILMANDAVENPORT &`

p yplates 27 movement is eiected by means of the slide j blades 31 whichare attached to the side in any suitable manner and overlapping the bentedges 29 of the lower side plates, as shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and5, so that the edges 29 are caught between the edges 28 and the plates31, the lower end 32 of each plate being bent outwardly so that it willmoreV readily engage the edge 29 of the lower side piece 11.

The `entire upper portion including the counter weights is mounted forpivotal moveinent'upon the shaft 21 which is supported by the sidebrackets 33, and the rear end of the upper central Vplate 26 is formedwith a notchf34 which becomes seated over a plunger rod 35 when thefront edge of the. pivoted superstructure is raised about the pivotingshaft 21.

At the rear ofv the cushion holder is a fluid pressure cylinder 36 foroperating the plunger rod 35 which carries a plunger 37 at its forwardend, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, within the variable cushion holder. Atone end of the cylinder 36 is a valve 38 with an operating arm 39extending therefrom which is connected by means of la link 40 to a crankshaft 41, having a pedal 42 at its forward end adjacent the front of themachine so that the valve can be easily operated from that point. Thiscylinder will receive pressure at either end from a supply line 43through the valve 38 and through a pipe 44, so that the plunger may bepositively forced in either direction, and will be held in that positionuntil the valve 38 is operated to move it into the opposite direction.In this connection it should be -observed that any plates 11.

type of operating mechanism which lwill accomplish this same result isentirely satisfactory.

Projecting outwardly from each side member 2O at its forward end is aprojection 45 which is adapted to be engaged by a hook 46 atv one end ofan arm 47,. the other end of which is mounted upon a shaft 48 extendingacross the frame work below the lower side At one end of this shaft is'hxed a toothed segment 49, and attached to the shaft 48 at this end isa handle 50 with a spring pressed dog 51 for engaging the teeth of thesegmen At each side of the frame is a guide 52 for engaging and limitingthe rearward movement of the hook 46 so that whenever the pivotedsuperstructure is moved downwardly in the position shown in Fig. 1, thedownward movement of the handle 50 will engage the hooks 46 with theprojections 45. In order to disengage the hooks from the projections, itis necessary only to release the dog from the segment 49 and tol movelthe handle upwardly. The arms 47 will raise `the lower ends of the hooksmoving the upper ends of the hooks inwardly free from 'engagement withthe projections 45 so that the pivoted super-structure can then beraised upon its pivoting shaft 21 without danger of engaging the hooks.Gf course, as soon as the super-structure is lowered, the downwardmovement of the handle 50 will draw the hooks 46 over the guides 52moving them into engagement with the projections 45. In operation, theplunger 37 isvmoved to its rear-most position, the hooks 46'willdisengage from the superstructure by moving the handle 50 upwardly, andthe counterbalanced super-structure is then raised so that the lowerplates are freely accessible. The cushion making material is thenassembled in the lower plates by placing first a layer or pad of felt orsimilar material thereon, and,

in completely covering a pad of springs therewith. The super-structureis thereupon closed down over the cushion material thus assembled anddrawn tightly against it by means of the hooks 46. This cushion materialis then compressed laterally to the desired extent by rotating the handwheel 15 which draws in the side plates 11 and 27 at the same timebecause of the engagement of the.y blades 31. A considerable'lateralcompression of the cushion material is possible because of the springpad structure, and when the cushion material isA compressed, a pillowclip or a cushion cover of any suitable material is placed over theforward ends of the movable side plates 11 and 27, clear to the bottomor `end of the cushion cover. The

`valve 38 is then operated by means of the pedal 42', and the plunger 35quickly forces the ,cushion filling into the cushion cover, fill-ing thelatter and ej ecting the filling from the machine. The open edge ofthepillow or cushion can then be sewn upy and the cushion is ready foruse.l

The mach-'ne is made ready `for the next operation by rotating the handwheel 15 in the opposite direction 'to separate the side plates 11 and27, and after they are suitably separated, the hooks 46 are disengagedand thel super-structure raised yas before. The plunger can be withdrawnby the operation of the valve at any time before the next cushionmaterial is placed on the lower plates. It is obvious that variouschanges may be made in the construction, combination and arrangement ofthe several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention. Y

I claim: 1 .j

1. In a cushion making` machine, a base comprising a fixedcentral plateand movable central plate and slidable side plates engaging over theVopposite edges of the central vplate and having their outer edges turneddownwardly, engaging blades at the outer izo edges of the cover sideplates whereby the upturned edges of the lower side plates are engagedon both sides thereof, and means including a hand wheel at one side ofthe machine for moving the side plates of the base laterally carryingwith them the side plates of the cover in both directions of adjustment.

2. In a cushion making machine, a base upon which the cushion fillingmaterial is assembled,` a cover pivoted at the rear of the base andmovable downwardly to fit over the base, and means for clamping thecover in the downward position, said means comprising a shaft extendingunder the base, lateral projections from the sides of the cover, a pairof hooks adapted to engage the pro` jections, an arm mounted at each endof the shaft and attached to one of the hooks, a guide behind each hookfor moving it fon Wardly into engaging position when the shaft isrotated, and means for rotating and locking the shaft.

3. In a cushion making machine, a base with adjustable side plates, acover pivoted at the rear of the base also having adjnstable sideplates, and having side members with outward lateral projections, meansfor moving the side plates of the base and cover when the cover isclosed over the base, and means for drawing the front end of the coverdownwardly after it is closed, said means comprising a shaft extendingunder the base, an arm mounted at each end of the shaft, a hook memberpivoted to the outer end of each frame, a guide extending over the shaftagainst which the hook member normally rests for throwing the hook intoengagement with the side projections of the cover when the shaft isrotated, a fixed toothed segment at one end of the shaft, and a handleattached to the shaft having a spring pressed pawl for engaging theteeth of the segment to lock the cover down when it is engaged by thehooks.

JULIUs KRAMER.

